Breaking the Translation Barrier
by Irony'sFriend
Summary: When Nitori is distressed that his favorite American show doesn't have Japanese subtitles, Rin reluctantly volunteers to translate for him. What starts as a simple favor grows into something more as Rin becomes a bit loose with his translations, particularly with three important English words. Fluff.


_Disclaimer: I do not own Free!_

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Breaking the Translation Barrier

Nitori practically skipped into his dorm room and shut the door behind him with a particularly cheerful flare. After a long day of classes, he couldn't be happier to reach the comforts of his bed, his desk, and most importantly, his laptop. Today was Thursday, and not only did that mean no swim practice, but this was also Nitori's day to watch Days of Revolution.

Days of Revolution was a riveting show that took place in the colonial days when the people of New England decided to revolt against their mother country. The plot followed four main characters ranging from a baker in Massachusetts to a British soldier, and their lives entangled themselves as the war grew more vicious. A new episode came out every week, and Nitori never missed one.

There was only one tiny problem. While Days of Revolution won the prize of being Nitori's favorite program, it was technically an American show, and he could only watch each compelling installment by finding fan-made Japanese subtitles on the internet.

The dilemma didn't really bother Nitori. Sometimes certain jokes didn't translate well, and his lacking knowledge of American culture sometimes presented an issue, but Nitori was more than willing to deal with these hardships if it meant enjoying the glorious storylines and character development. Not to mention the _plot twists_…

Besides swim practice and the times when he got to hang out with Rin-senpai, Thursday evenings were what Nitori looked forward to most.

He even set aside some money his grandmother sent him in order to buy snacks for the occasion. He dug out a four pack of Pocket Sweat sports drink and a bag of chocolate candies from his school bag and set them on top of a pile of old test reviews on his desk. Sliding into his chair, he cleared a spot in the center of the desk and pulled his laptop out from under a few books he had intended to read and write reports on for extra credit.

When he opened the laptop and powered it up, the warm artificial light sent a jolt of anticipation down his bones. He entered his password in with rapid speed, opened up an internet tab, and began searching the proper key words.

He tried every website he had ever used in the past, even attempting mirrors that he knew never worked. Some loaded, and some didn't, but none had those precious white and black subtitles at the bottom. Nitori's heart sunk. So much for his Thursday.

…

On days without swim practice, Rin took the chance to run a few miles after school. Since Mikoshiba handed over the position of captain, he had to use every spare moment to find tournaments to enter, compare the times of his teammates, and decide which swimmers would work best in which stroke and event. That being said, a few hours to himself to take care of some conditioning meant the world to him.

A lap around the school campus equaled about two kilometers, so he ran the path twice and called it a day. Sweaty and breathing slightly harder than normal, he walked the last leg to his dorm house. He wondered if Ai would be up for going out to eat or something because he really didn't want to go to the cafeteria on his day off.

When he entered his dorm to find Nitori crouched over his laptop, he only sighed. _Of course_, how could he forget? Today was Thursday, and every week played out the same way. Ai would go straight to the dorm after classes, boot up his computer, plug in his earphones, and basically be useless for the rest of the day. Rin supposed they'd be ordering takeout tonight.

Rin shut the door behind him and turned to his right to riffle through his closet in search for clean clothes. He managed to find a muscle shirt and pair of sweatpants, but his laundry bag nearly overflowed. He would have to ask Ai if he wanted to visit a laundromat together soon. Of course, he wouldn't be able to get him to do anything today…

"I'm going for a shower," he called, closing the closet door.

"Okay, senpai," Ai replied.

The listless response caught Rin's attention, and he turned around to observe the other more closely. While no greeting or a vague answer wasn't unusual on Thursdays, the downtrodden tone did not fit. Actually, Ai didn't even have his earphones in… What was he doing?

"Are you all right?" Rin inquired. He leaned over the back of Ai's chair to view the computer scene, and instead of the usual oddly dressed people prancing about onscreen, there were five tabs open, the current one displaying a page of text. "Your video will load faster if you close a few of those sites."

Nitori propped his elbows on his desk and dropped his head in his hands. "I know, but that's not the problem," he whined.

Rin straightened his posture and crossed his arms skeptically. "Then what is?"

"This has never happened before, so I don't know why, but… I can't find a link with Japanese subtitles. The only videos available are raw English," Ai explained.

Rin raised an eyebrow at the boy's obvious dejection. His slumped posture practically radiated distress, and Rin almost wanted to hit him with the laptop to remind him that it was just a crappy American soap opera and that someone would probably upload subtitles tomorrow. Then his eyes trailed to the drinks and candy on his desk, and he had to suppress a sigh. He would be an idiot not to realize how much these Thursdays with his shitty show and junk food meant to him…

Rin wanted to groan or hit something. This was his day off, too, and while the run had been great, he had also been looking forward to an evening of relaxing and maybe reading another of his swimming or success books. After a week of demanding captain duties, he didn't want to give that up.

But his gaze kept returning to Ai, and his boyish face and small physique only emphasized his distress. Rin sighed. "How long is the episode?" he asked.

Ai looked up in surprise. "About twenty-three minutes," he answered.

"If we skip the opening and ending themes, I'll translate the episode for you," Rin offered.

Rin should have seen it coming when Ai's eyes grew wide and round. He smiled as if he still had the innocence and naiveté of a five year old child, but then again, Rin wondered if he did. He could practically see golden sparkles lighting up the younger boy's expression. "Would you, senpai? Thank you so much!" Ai cried. Then his face fell as he reconsidered Rin's suggestion. "But this is your day off as well, and I couldn't-"

"Don't worry about it," Rin dismissed irritably. "It won't take that long, and I don't have anything better to do." After all, he could always do his homework later.

"Wow, thank you, thank you, senpai!" Ai enthused, and Rin wondered if the second-year would bounce right out of his chair.

Rin cut him off before such an event could take place. "I'm going to take a shower. Load the episode while I'm gone, okay? And move the laptop to my bunk, so I don't have to hunch over your shoulder," he ordered.

Rin then fled to the showers before another round of gratitude could begin. When he returned clean and in fresh clothing, Ai had his laptop open and ready in the center of his bed with two unopened cans of Pocket Sweat and a package of chips beside it. The boy himself waited excitedly on the side next to the ladder, his feet kicking over the edge.

"I thought you had some chocolate stuff before," Rin said by greeting. He tossed his dirty clothes in the laundry bag, once again reminded of how they needed to have a wash day soon.

"I did, but I know you don't like sweets, so I went out and bought these from the vending machine," Ai replied. He gestured proudly to the bag.

Rin approached the bed and sat down on the other side of the laptop, scooting backward so his back rested against the wall. Ai did the same, and it amused Rin that the boy's legs reached just a few inches shorter than his own now. The kid was growing. Still, he hadn't lost that childlike compassion. Upon closer inspection, the chips were his favorite kind, the brand and flavor that he always bought at swim meets.

"You didn't have to do that," Rin chided.

"It's the least I can do when you're translating the episode for me," Ai rebuked.

Once again, Rin could practically see the sparkles surrounding the boy's face, and he had to look away to keep from being blinded. He pulled the laptop forward, so they could both see the picture decently. Ai had already skipped past the theme song, so Rin only had to push play.

Rin learned three things in the first five minutes of today's episode of Days of Revolution. One, Ai had really crappy taste in television shows. Two, Americans held pathetically low standards in entertainment if this was one of their most highly-rated programs. Three, these people were never going to overthrow British rule if they kept going on about the father of the baby, Louise's affair, and this town dance to raise money for war efforts.

Still, Ai was enthralled, and as Rin translated the dialogue and occasional newspaper headline, the younger boy subconsciously inched closer to the laptop screen until their shoulders practically touched. Rin supposed the mind-numbing drama of the show was worth the kid's happiness… Maybe…

Actually, no, this was awful. Rin guessed the plot for the entire season almost immediately, and each overdramatic scene felt like prolonged torture. He couldn't even enjoy his drink and chips without pausing the show, and he didn't want the episode to last any longer than absolutely necessary. His eyelids kept slipping if he wasn't too careful.

Really, he could write a better plotline than this crap. So when Louise confronted Albert in hopes of reestablishing their relationship, Rin did not say, "Please, what I had with Stephen was a mistake." Instead, he said, "I am done with this. How can I focus on you or anyone when there's a war going on? I've enlisted in the army."

Ai muffled a tiny gasp, and he leaned forward a little more as if somehow staring harder at the screen would help him understand the words. Really, it was a bit cute how he got so invested in these fictional people, but Rin pushed that thought away with a vengeance and focused on his scriptwriting.

When Albert was supposed to say, "I can't trust you anymore. I never want to see you again," Rin decided it would be more interesting if he cried, "Please don't go! How could someone like you hope to fight Great Britain?"

To which Louise replied, "I can do more than you can when you turn to the brothels and taverns every time something goes wrong. I'll prove to you just how useful I can be." (At least, according to Rin)

Ai never seemed to notice, so Rin kept adlibbing each scene. He made it look like Louise's way of traveling from man to man was actually a ploy to gather information because she was a spy. Then he decided that the British soldier should be revealed to have schizophrenia, and his tendency to brood by himself and monologue suddenly became a lot more fun to translate. Once Rin replaced the petty drama with his own storyline, the episode passed by in a flash. The ending theme started to play, and Rin moved to get up.

"W-wait!" Ai cried, reaching out to catch Rin's arm. This was the first thing the boy had said in twenty minutes, and Rin looked at him in surprise. "There's always a scene after the ending credits. Do you mind translating that? Please?"

Rin sighed, wanting to grumble about how he specifically requested no theme songs, but three more minutes wouldn't kill him. He slumped back against the wall and suffered through the painful violin music and boring animation. At last, the production company flashed its logo across the screen, and then the camera zoomed in on two figures meeting in an alley between the bakery and woodwork shop.

Rin didn't even have to look to know they were Albert and Louise. The scene focused in on Albert's drawn and emotional expression, and he whispered, "I love you." The screen went black. Rin had to muffle a sigh because how predictable could this show get?

Apparently not quite predictable enough because Ai looked beside himself with anticipation. He had moved to his knees, and he bounced slightly as he asked, "What did he say?"

Rin probably should have come clean then. He should have explained that he adlibbed the entire episode because his taste in television was shit. He should have admitted that Louise was actually a bit of a slut and that Albert spent the whole episode pining after her instead of sending her secret messages and that the British soldier was actually just a narcissist who had to moan about his problems to himself every other scene. He should have told Ai that "I love you" meant "Aishiteru."

Instead, Rin said, "It basically means 'good job' as in 'good work with all the spying and gathering information.'"

"Oh, I see," Ai said. He relaxed his stance and exited out of the internet tab. "That was such a great episode! Probably the best one so far. Thank you so much, Rin-senpai!"

"I have no doubt," Rin grumbled under his breath. He took the bag of chips and sat down at his desk to start on his homework.

Ai shut his laptop and returned it to the chaos zone he called a workspace. Life returned to normal.

…

Even when Thursday ended, Nitori never quite lost that Thursday feeling. He cherished the brief time he got to spend with Rin, and as if the screenwriters knew that this day was special, they made the episode even better than normal! The warm feeling just wouldn't leave his heart. The _plot twists!_

Still, more than anything, Nitori was just glad he and Rin had a few moments to bond.

The next day, Nitori tried extra hard at swim practice as if to somehow thank Rin for what he had done the day before. He volunteered for every mock relay race and swam all his laps without stopping once. He even managed to shave off three tenths of a second from his four hundred meter.

He was utterly exhausted by the end of practice, but it was the good kind that left satisfaction in his bones. When everyone else departed after Rin's dismissal, Nitori stayed behind like normal to help with some extra chores that were the captain's responsibility. He packed up all the timers and threw all the towels in the laundry sack, something which reminded him that he needed to ask Rin if he wanted to go to the laundromat sometime soon together because he was nearly out of clean underwear.

Once he finished, Nitori met Rin in the captain's office where the older boy updated their record sheets with the new times. "Everything's done, Rin-senpai," he said.

Rin glanced up and offered him a warm smile. "You did well today, Ai," he congratulated.

Nitori lit up with a smile that likely took up his whole face. "Thank you so much, Rin-senpai! I hope to work hard, so I can make you and the team proud!" he exclaimed.

Rin chuckled fondly at his passionate declaration. "I'm sure you will. …I love you," he said, almost whispering the last part.

Nitori recognized the English words, and his heart warmed at the reference to their time together yesterday. He cherished the three words and how Rin now said them like a private joke just between the two of them. Especially how they meant approval and pride, and that's all Nitori had wanted from him. "Thank you, senpai."

"Go on back to the dorms," Rin told him. "You've done plenty already, and I'll have the rest of this finished in no time."

"That's okay. If you won't be long, we might as well walk back together," Nitori replied.

Rin shrugged, but Nitori took it as a sign of approval. He sat down in one of the chairs, old and uncomfortable things that had probably been in the office since the first Samezuka captain, and Nitori chattered about their teammates and school and tests coming up until Rin finished with his work.

…

Moments like that became more frequent over time, and Nitori wasn't entirely sure what to think of it. Rin still snapped when he felt particularly stressed, but he reined himself in more often than not and usually treated Nitori with fondness. He also told him "I love you" a lot.

Whether it be for a new record time or a good grade on a physics test, Rin said those three English words whenever he got the chance. Nitori liked it. The inside joke made him feel closer to Rin and more like his equal instead of his annoying kohai.

And he owed it all to Days of Revolution. Nitori never thought he would feel this way, but he was actually happy that he couldn't find Japanese subtitles that Thursday. He almost hoped that there wouldn't be a link with subtitles again this Thursday if it meant another evening with Rin-senpai.

He felt so happy and nostalgic that Nitori decided he wanted to watch the episode again even if it was a Tuesday. Swim practice was over, and Rin had taken Kou out to eat, so he was gone. Nitori didn't have any homework, so why not? Besides, there was probably a link with subtitles now.

Nitori booted up his laptop and found a good website with Japanese subs. While he waited for the video to load a bit, he retrieved one of his Pocket Sweat sports drinks and popped the tab. Excited and ready to experience the thrill again, Nitori pushed play.

He did not understand.

First, he checked the episode title to make sure he chose the right link, but it was the same. Then he tried another link just in case the first set of subtitles were a joke, but the two websites agreed on the translations. Perhaps amateurs that didn't understand the language translated this episode? Or perhaps Rin-senpai had…

No, of course not! Rin-senpai would not have lied to him! And yet…

Nitori watched the entire episode from the most reputable source he could find. Given, watching it the second time around certainly fit in more with the show's style, but he still couldn't help but be disappointed when the ending theme began, and Louise turned out to not be a spy, and Albert still hadn't chosen to join the army's cause.

Nitori supposed he couldn't blame Rin. Days of Revolution wasn't likely a show he would find interesting, so translating for him must have been a huge bore. Even if Rin hadn't been accurate, Nitori still cherished last Thursday. He enjoyed spending time with him in any way possible.

Just when Nitori started to exit out of the internet tab, he remembered the English words Rin had been telling him the past few days. Perhaps Rin-senpai repeated "I love you" so often because it was the one thing he had translated correctly? Or maybe there was some other meaning…

Curious, Nitori allowed the credits to finish rolling and waited with anticipation for the alley scene that was significantly less interesting when Louise was no longer a war spy.

"I love you," Albert whispered.

Nitori nearly fell out of his chair. He clicked back to watch the scene again. Albert repeated the same English words, and the Japanese subtitle below did not change.

"Aishiteru."

Nitori didn't understand, and against his will, his cheeks blushed bright red. Did Rin-senpai realize what he was saying? But of course he did because Rin mastered English and was quite fluent. So what did he mean by telling Nitori…?

The door opened, and for the second time that day, Nitori nearly fell out of his desk chair. Rin walked in and shut the door behind him. "Hey," he greeted neutrally.

Nitori meant to say hi in return. He meant to ask Rin about Kou and then possibly inquire about the drastically different translations he just found. He meant to ask him why he hadn't just told Nitori that he wasn't interested in the show.

Instead, Nitori said, "'I love you' in English means 'Aishiteru.'"

…

Rin nearly fell over in the process of taking off his shoes. He straightened his posture and took in the distressed state of the younger boy. One glance at the computer screen told Rin all he needed to know, and his heart decided to trade places with his stomach.

"So?" he grunted. He pulled off his jacket and hung it up in the closet.

"So?" Ai squeaked. "Why have you been saying that to me so much?"

Rin supposed it was a fair question. Why had Rin been declaring his affection in a language Ai could not understand? Rin supposed a therapist could have a field day with that, but he decided it really boiled down to two things. One, Ai had been there for him through his worst times and his best, and that cute kid never ceased to make him smile (and to irritate him, but Rin felt that was part of the package). Two, Rin was too emotionally crippled to do anything about it besides passive hints that could not possibly be unraveled.

Until they were, that is.

"Why do you think?" Rin grumbled, the second thing rearing its ugly head once again.

Ai turned another shade redder, and Rin sat down on his bed. Ai shifted around in his chair to face him and sputtered, "I-I don't know! That's why I asked!"

Rin shrugged, careful to keep his nonchalant expression. "You know, English is a strange language. Even though there are all kinds of affection – parents, siblings, friends, significant others – they use the same three words for every form: I love you. You would think they would get confused by using one phrase to cover feelings ranging from casual to obligational to passionate," he said.

Ai's face fell, and the change of expression nearly broke Rin's heart. Still, he forced himself to continue.

"However, there's something pretty special about those three words. They range to cover so many varying forms of the same emotion that the phrase holds potential," Rin said. He emphasized the last words, and Ai looked up to meet his eyes in wild hope.

"Potential for 'I love you' to mean anything… or to become anything."

Ai's eyes lit up, and Rin could almost imagine the golden sparkles surrounding him again. Except this time, the sparkles didn't overwhelm him. They lingered in the background, more subtle and magical than before. Rin smiled fondly at the other boy, and Ai smiled back at him.

"I love you, Rin-senpai."

**end.**

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**A/N: **A big thank you to Seiji and Shizuku 4ever! She both gave me the plot line idea and acted as my beta.I owe you, lovely!

Could you tell that I watch a lot of things on the internet that require subtitles?


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